The archive relates to the Co. Tyrone estates of the Earls Castle Stewart, their genealogy and peerage claims, the building and re-building of their houses mainly at Stuart Hall, Stewartstown, Forward, Coalisland, Orritor, Dungannon and Castlegore, Castlederg (and the plans of Drum Manor, Cookstown, which was owned for some time by the family), and the military services of them and of members of related families, 1587-c. 1960.
Early material covers a wealth of topics from the construction of mills in Roughan in 1655 to the purchase of wigs in Dublin in 1685; this mid- to late-17th century family and financial correspondence is of great importance owing to the rarity of such material. Estate papers include title deeds, accounts, wills and testamentary papers, Irish Land Commission papers etc. Military papers include World War I letters from family members.
One considerable curiosity is a certificate granting the freedom of the town of Coagh, Co. Tyrone (which had no corporation and, it might have been thought, no authority to confer freedom) to Andrew Thomas Stewart, later 1st Earl Castle Stewart, 1748.
Of interest to those researching estate management, genealogy, pedigrees over a long period of time
c.6,042 documents and 42 volumes occupying 36 PRONI boxes
See PRONI reference D/1618 for catalogue of the papers. The catalogue is available for consultation in PRONI's Public Search Room.
See also http://www.proni.gov.uk/records/private/cas_stew.htm for a more detailed introduction to the collection.
![MS11/23 - Eire. Constitution. Draft. Dublin: Published by the Stationery Office: Printed by Cahill & Co., [1937] Annotated by T.F. O’Rahilly. MS. Inscription by Éamon de Valera Thanking O’Rahilly for his Assistance](/sites/default/files/styles/media_crop/public/2018-04/MS11-23.jpg?itok=P7V_xvTZ)
